The Internet is evolving from a human centered network where humans create and consume information into the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed elements or things process and exchange information. Big data processing through cloud servers and IoT technology are being combined into the Internet of Everything (IoE). To realize IoT services, base technologies such as sensing, wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interfacing and security are needed, and technologies interconnecting things such as sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) and machine type communication (MTC) are under development.
In IoT environments, it is possible to provide intelligent Internet technology services, which collect and analyze data created by interconnected things to add new values to human life. Through convergence and combination between existing information technologies and various field technologies, IoT technology may be applied to various areas such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart or connected cars, smart grids, health-care, smart consumer electronics, and advanced medical services.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term describing a paradigm where all things have network connectivity and can share their information or operate using different information through the network connectivity.
As noted above, an IoT device has connectivity, but it may not include an input unit such as a keyboard or an output unit such as a display. Hence, to control the IoT device or check information contained therein after connecting to the IoT device, it may be required first to install a host application for the IoT device in a smartphone or personal computer (PC).
Typical IoT devices do not use a general-purpose host application but use dedicated host applications. Hence, it may be necessary to install different host applications in the user terminal for individual IoT devices. For example, to check or adjust the current brightness and remaining lifetime of a smart light without a separate display or speaker, the user may have to connect a smartphone or PC to the smart light first and then execute a corresponding host application to check the information that the smart light has.
Even in the case of a TV with separate input and output units, to control the TV through a user terminal, a separate application must be installed in the user terminal.